There were no more ShinRa soldiers in the immediate area, but Vincent hurried through the streets and into the "red-light district". This seemed like an odd choice, but honestly, the people here were more trustworthy. They knew how to keep their mouths shut. It was just unfortunate that he had to drag them into his problems, but if Omid's in tell was accurate, it was his only option.

It was still daytime, so the streets were relatively vacant. Vincent made his way along the back alley, to the left, up to a building with a neon yellow sign that read "Honey-Bee Manor".

A couple of scantily clad women stepped up to him with huge smiles on their faces. "Aww." The brunette, on his right crooned, stepping up to Sephiroth. "He's so precious." Sephiroth must have sensed some strange woman was approaching him, because he shuddered away from her.

A very busty black-haired woman flanked him, on the other side. "Sorry, Darling, I'm not into the whole domestic thing." She leaned on his free shoulder, fingers tracing along his bare chest. Fortunately the bruise had healed up, or she might have been wary. Then again, she didn't seem to care about the black skinned claw, or the dried blood coating it. Then again, these girls do see some pretty messed up regulars. "But if you drop the kid off somewhere, I can arrange something for you." Her lips brushed against his ear. "You look tense." Evidently, she was far more experienced than the other girl. "I know things that can make all of that strain ooze from your body."

Vincent smiled, tempted to step away, but didn't want to be rude. "That's very kind of you, but I just need to use your phone." If this, 'Kat' was some kind of anti ShinRa activist it'd be better not to ask directly. At least not in the open. This way, he could get inside.

Both girls gave him a wry smile. The brunette let out a light airy laugh. "You came to a brothel to use the phone?"

"Yes I did."

"Oh, that is rich."

The black-haired woman just smiled warmly, her eyes narrowed in a naturally seductive manner. "Come on in." Her fingers curled up around the collar of his torn coat, pulling gently. It was definitely a show of dominance, but not enough to truly intimidate. This point was emphasized when she let go after a couple of steps.

"Think you can handle things on your own here, for a while, Min?"

"Can do." The brunette, designated Min, winked at them, giving a small salute. "Have fun you two."

Vincent's guide led him up to the door where a very broad man was standing guard. He had his arms folded across his chest, blocking the door. She laid a hand, on his arm. "It's ok Angelo, he can come in."

Angelo looked Vincent over. His eyes took in the sleeping child, balanced on his hip, lingering slightly on the blackened skin of his arm. Evidently he cared more about this tall dark stranger being covered in blood. Finally, they flicked to the gun then turned back up to his face. "No weapons in the Manor."

The black-haired woman scoffed. "C'mon, he's good for it."

"House rules. He'll get his guns back when he leaves."

"It's alright." Vincent conceded, handing over the gun down the front of his pants. He knew the rules well, and took note that Angelo said, "guns." The fact that he appeared to realize he had more than one weapon was certainly worth some admiration. This point was emphasized by him holding out his hand for the other, which Vincent gave up without a fuss. Better than being frisked.

"Any Materia?"

"A low level Restore." Vincent reached in and pulled out the small green orb. He juggled the two in his hands, looking over the bloody yellow one. "And a shield? Or endurance?" He shrugged. "Honestly, I don't know what this is, but it's not offensive."

Angelo stalled slightly, then stepped aside. "Go ahead."

"Thanks, Angel." The lady crooned, blowing the guard a kiss as she passed by.

xXx

Vincent was led into a large , dimly lit, circular room, adorned with large elegant, silk tapestries draped over the various arches outlining the room. A strong smell of incense and perfume permeated the air around them. "So, is this a professional or... personal call?" She added, insinuating something with that last part.

Vincent smirked. "I'd say it's more personal, but not quite what you're thinking."

The woman cast him a snide look. "You don't know what I'm thinking."

Eventually, they entered one of the back offices, which looked just as sensuous as the rest of the manor. "Phone's on the desk, Dial eight to get out, nine for long distance calls."

"Thank you. I appreciate your help." Vincent made his way around the desk, depositing Sephiroth into the large, plush chair. How long was this serum going to take to wear off.

"No problem, Sweetheart." She watched Vincent, with a small smile at the care he was showing to make sure this child was comfortable. "You really do look like you've had a rough night."

Vincent flashed her a bittersweet smile. "You don't know the half of it."

The dark-haired woman sighed, planting her hand on her hips. "You sure you don't need anything else?"

Vincent pondered his options, wondering if it'd be ok to get her involved. He remembered the name Kat, from somewhere, but wasn't sure why.

"Well, just take all the time ya need. If anyone asks, just tell 'em Zelda said 'it's ok'." She started to head out, but Vincent called back to her. "Actually, I do need something else."

Zelda's smile slid back into that same seductive manner. "Oh?"

"I'm looking for someone named Kat."

"Oh." Her expression fell a bit in disappointment. "Yea, of course I do. But what do you need with her?"

"It's just very important that I talk to her."

Zelda's lips curled into a smile that almost showed that she understood. "Just hang tight, handsome. I'll get her for you."

"I appreciate it."

With a sly wink, Zelda swept from the room, closing the door tightly behind her.

Vincent heaved a deep sigh, sitting on the ground, for a short break. He scrubbed a hand over his face, trying to stave off any exhaustion. Hopefully, he didn't just make a huge mistake by asking her directly, but it would seen far more suspicious for him to be snooping around. Either way, he couldn't just leave Sephiroth here alone, right now. It should be ok. The girls at Honey Bee were always trustworthy, but if ShinRa's changed this much, who knows what else could have been corrupted.

Shortly, the door to the office sprang open. A rather short, but still somehow imposing, woman stood staring at him. She had short blonde hair, and was wearing a middle class pants suit. At first she looked astonished by his presence. Her expression settled down, Folding her arms across her chest. "Well, I'll be damned. I thought Zelda was pulling me leg, when she described you."

Vincent stood upon her entrance.

The woman looked him over, running her tongue along her teeth. "You look like complete hell."

Vincent stared, positioning himself to block Sephiroth from her view. It's not like she wouldn't have already seen him, but it was second nature now.

The woman shook her head, fists moving onto her hips. "Man, I never thought I'd see you again."

Vincent felt a bit lost. This must have been Kat. Maybe he did actually know her before. He definitely found her far more attractive than the other two women. It also helped that she had a thick southern lilt that he seemed to find very sexy. "Stop staring at me like a slack jawed idiot." Her rough exterior faded into a smile. "Don't tell me ya don't remember me."

Seeing that snide smirk began to fill in some holes of his memory, and he smiled. How did he not realize it before? Her features were slightly more worn, and her hair a lot shorter, but those bright blue eyes were the same. "Katherine."

Kat's grin widened. "Oh he does remember me. I'm honored."

"My memory's a bit hazy, but that beautiful face brings it back."

"You're full of shit, but I'll accept it." She chuckled lightly, taking a few steps closer. "So, it appears you've gotten yourself into a peck of trouble."

Vincent shrugged. "Well, you know me."

"ShinRa soldiers, on the hunt, tainting my fair slums with their presence." She walked in a slow circle, eyeing the sleeping child in her chair. "You really pissed them off, and that makes me obscenely happy." Kat had moved behind him, gently touching his shoulder as she passed. Giving Sephiroth a closer look, she brushed the silver strands from his face. "Don't tell me this little one is what all the fuss is over."

"I'm afraid so." Vincent shifted to the side of the desk, to face her, leaning against it. "Hojo was doing God knows what to him. Trying to make him into a perfect Soldier, or something."

"Fuckers." Kat growled. "ShinRa has gone to complete shit, since you disappeared." She moved to sit on the desk, next to him. "Speaking of which-?"

Vincent shook his head. "I got shot. That's all I remember. Your guess is as good as mine, from there."

"Interesting." Kat's eyes shifted down to the black claw., and took it into her hands. She examined the hand, with curious interest. Vincent was a little self-conscious about her examination, but didn't feel the need to stop her. "So, I take it you're looking to get out of Midgar?"

"I need to get Sephiroth far out of ShinRa's reach."

"That's going to be hard. ShinRa has long arms." After a short time, she released his arm. "For the sake of my girls, I tend to avoid harboring such high profile fugitives. And you are on their black list in a bad way."

Vincent nodded, with a vague smile. So Katherine was Hive Mother now. She was just a working girl, when he knew her. "I'd understand, if you can't."

Kat laughed. "Shut up. You've gotta know, you're my exception." She smiled coyly, kissing him on the cheek as she stood, making her way towards one of the maroon curtains. "A year or so ago, ShinRa got in tell on somebody within, slipping information to the resistance. So, they put out an ATB to find them. Fortunately, the Turk that found me out was anti-ShinRa, and had been... I guess-" She paused trying to think of how to word what was happening. " -working on them, from the inside."

"Omid?"

Kat smiled. "Eryn."

Vincent was slightly confused. He knew Omid and Eryn were close, but she wouldn't risk letting information like that out. "She wasn't the one who told me to come here."

"I didn't say she was the only one, on the inside." She said with a cocky shrug, opening the curtains. Behind the curtain was a large book case, which she began to riffle through. It was like some strange lock where you had to arrange the books in a specific manner to activate it. "Since then, they've kept ShinRa off my scent. Besides, who'd suspect the the mother of risking her position just to piss off ShinRa." She gave a smug chuckle. "Hiding me behind my own status. It's good to know some bright spots still exist in this dark hell. I'm pretty sure that's the only reason they've stayed in the Turks." When the books were in the right locations, a chunk of the bottom shelf fell into the wall, and slid aside. Kat knelt down, and pulled a red leather book from inside. "I can make arrangements to get you out of Midgar, and guide you to Avalanche. They can shelter you, from there." She reached further into the small nook, and something clicked from under the desk. Kat stood, making her way over. "Until then, you two need to stay out of sight. Just in case ShinRa comes back."

Vincent glanced over, and stood, checking underneath the desk. There was a small crack in the floor. He pushed down on the floor to open a trap door.

"Smart boy."

He looked back to see Kat leaning over to look under the desk at him. "Angelo has my guns."

"I'll get them. Just take him in there, and stay quiet."

Vincent stood, gently lifting the still unconscious child from the chair, and turned to face her. "Just be careful. I don't want you dying for me."

Kat held the book to her chest, smirking confidently. "Please. These morons ain't got nothin on me."

Vincent sighed. She was still as stubborn as ever. "I can't thank you enough."

"Well, you could." Another menacing smile crossed her features. "If only we had time." In one slick motion, one of her hands slipped behind his neck, dragging him down to bring their lips together.

Kat took a bit longer than she intended to savor Vincent's taste, before drawing back; her cheeks reddened and breathless. Given her profession, this was a rare sensation. Her fingers lingered along Vincent's jaw line. "One of these days I'm going to bring a blush to this beautiful face." She kissed him again. This time only the lightest of touches. "So you better not die, on me."

"In that case, I'll have to survive."

"Mn. You better." With that, she swept over to close the curtains, and towards the door, only casting a backwards glance as Vincent slid into the small hide away. The door clicked shut behind them.

xXx

The hiding nook was only about five square feet, with a dim light, and a small sleeping mat, on the floor; which Sephiroth was laying on. How long was this sedative going to take to wear off? The child was moaning lightly, in his sleep, but there was no sign of him waking up any time soon.

Shortly after they entered, Kat made her way in, with Vincent's retrieved arsenal, as well as the added bonus of a double holster, for them. He didn't necessarily need something that held both, but it was good of her to give it up.

Vincent examined both guns, counting out a total of five bullets between the two. He sighed in aggravation, lamenting not looting the unconscious soldiers at the church. There was little to no chance he could possibly go back now to retrieve them.

It was even more aggravating that all he could do was wait for someone else to do the legwork. At least before, even if he had no clue what he was doing, he was still the one figuring out how to progress. Waiting until Katherine made the necessary connections to get them safe passage was frustrating. There was no concept of time, but he felt like a couple hours had passed, at least.

Even Vincent was starting to feel tired. He was sitting next to Sephiroth's head, idly stroking the long silver hairs. His head drooped slightly, determined not to let himself actually fall asleep. At least not yet.

There was a small commotion up top, that startled him to fully be awake. It wasn't clear whether or not the hurried footsteps were from ShinRa. However, given that there were echoes of what might have been giggles coupled with them, it was likely not anything he needed to worry about.

Vincent dropped his head back against the wall, heaving a deep sigh. Soon, Sephiroth's moaning grew louder, and he sat up, with a panicked scream.

"Sephiroth!" Vincent slid in closer, grabbing his shoulders.

"NO! NO!" He instinctively tried to push him away. Evidently, he still thought they were in the church and wasn't sure who was with him right now. Vincent managed to calm him down quick enough, cradling the child's face in his hands. "Shh shh. It's ok. Seph look at me."

Sephiroth quieted down to harsh breathing, his eyes wide. His tiny hands were wrapped tightly around Vincent's wrists.

"You're ok, now. We're safe."

Sephiroth's quick breaths started to shudder more, his eyes flooding with tears. He threw his arms around Vincent, burying his face in his chest, and cried.

"Shh, it's ok." Vincent held him tight, stroking a hand through his hair. "I promised I wasn't gonna let them take you back. I'm sorry they got so close."

"I didn't know what happened to you. Then everything just went dark." He sobbed, trying to catch his breath. "I was so scared."

Vincent just held him and rocked. He'd seen Sephiroth get upset before, but this was the first time he sounded like a real child. "I'm here with you."

Fortunately his crying was relatively quiet, because he didn't want to tell him to be so. It took a bit longer for him to fully calm down. "Where are we?" Sephiroth asked, drying his face as he glanced around.

"We're taking refuge under Honey Bee Manor." Vincent pulled off another shred of fabric, from the ever shrinking lab coat, and helped dry his tears. "The Mother is making arrangements for us to get safe passage to some group called Avalanche."

Sephiroth took the cloth, and blew his runny nose. "And they're gonna help?"

"Well, they're an anti-ShinRa resistance group, so they're definitely not gonna hurt us."

"Wait." Sephiroth sniffed, his voice still cracking. "Isn't Honey Bee a brothel?"

Vincent laughed. "Yes it is."

Sephiroth looked a bit confused. Obviously, he had missed some details. Instead of bothering to question anything anymore, he just laid his head against Vincent's shoulder. He was still so very tired. Vincent wrapped his arms around him again, kissing the top of his head. "I know."

xXx

Some time later the trap door clicked open. "How've ya been?" Kat climbed down, closing the door behind him. She took note of the two green cat eyes staring at her from within Vincent's arms. "Oh hey. Look who finally woke up. How ya feelin, bright eyes?"

Sephiroth lowered his head, coiling further into Vincent.

"Aw, he's sweet." Apparently shy children were enduring to her. However, she had business to attend to. Kat settled onto the floor, opening the book she had. "Now, as much as I'd love to keep you trapped in my little dungeon, Vince, we need you to move." She plucked out a sheet of paper, and handed it to Vincent. "The sun just went down, and you're going to need as much night cover as you can get."

The sun just went down? They really had been down there a while. Vincent looked over the paper to see it was a map of Kalm, with a location marker.

"I managed to contact the resistance, and they're sending someone to meet you here." She leaned over and pointed to the marker. "It hasn't changed much, since you've been there. Just memorize the street. I'm gonna destroy this before you leave."

"How will I know the contact?"

"If we can keep ShinRa from following, he'll be the only person there. Kalm has been abandoned, for a while. So, don't worry about that."

Her explanation sounded haggered, and quick. "ShinRa? Did something happen?"

Kat shook her head. "Terry showed up, with a few guys, I got rid of them a while ago. I'm pretty sure they're still keeping an eye out. I gotta be quick, so I can make sure it's safe, and not raise any suspicion." She waited a moment, while Vincent was looking over the map. "Ya got it?" With barely a nod, Kat snatched the map from him, and started out. "Just hold on a little bit longer. I'll get you when I know you're good to go." She exited the small nook,, securing the door behind her.

Sephiroth sighed, miserably. Evidently, he wasn't any more fond of this situation than Vincent was.

Before long, Katherine came back, gesturing for them to follow. Vincent urged Sephiroth out first. Kat was at the back of the room, and lead them through a curtain. The trio wound through a narrow corridor, in silence. Vincent was making sure to keep a hand on his young associate, as he trailed behind him, since he didn't have the space or time to keep him in sight.

Some time later, they came out into fresh air. Kat threw out an arm to stop them. She stepped out first, scouting the area for any immediate dangers. She did a fairly thorough sweep, before motioning for them to follow. "There's a path here, straight to the wall, where you can get over. She was leading from closer, speaking low and fast. "Once you get to the other side, just head straight, from the city. The resistance will meet up with you there."

"What about ShinRa?"

"They're trying to track you, but they ain't gotta clue where you are. They're putting all their chips into the bio-scanners picking you up. By the time they realize you've figured a way out of Midgar, you should be out of reach." She grinned at him. "But keep your guard up, right?"

"Of course."

Shortly, they came upon the wall, stretching high over their heads.

"It's enormous." Sephiroth gaped, his eyes scanning up the side. "How are we supposed to get over this thing?"

"We have a few ways, but I feel this can be the most useful to you.." Kat chimed in, holding up another yellow materia, and tossed it to Vincent.

Vincent caught the materia, feeling the power spread through his hand. "Hold on." He glanced to the yellow orb, then over towards Kat. "This is typically used for attacking."

"I'm not asking you to break the wall."

Vincent scowled. "I figured that much."

"Then you can figure out the rest of it, Vince. You're a smart boy." Katherine sauntered closer, and laid a hand against his chest. "Be creative." She gave him a light kiss. Sephiroth's eyes lowered angrily on this display of affection. Who did she think she was?

Vincent smiled. "If you say so." He held out a hand to urge Sephiroth closer, even though it wasn't really necessary. Sephiroth had already made his way over, in protest to this woman. A little wary of what Kat was implying, Vincent knelt down and lifted Sephiroth back onto his hip. "Hold on as tight as you can, ok? This is gonna be pretty rough."

Sephiroth wrapped his arms around Vincent, locking his hands behind him.

"Take care of yourself." Kat added, with a sly wink. "You promised to repay me, if you survive."

Vincent nodded. "Sure thing. You be safe, as well." He wrapped his arms tightly around Sephiroth. He was going to need a precise control of this in order for them to stay hidden. This high level of Jump Materia had a tendency to be particularly noisy. Guess it had to be pretty strong to get them over this wall, but it was gonna be tricky. His only option was to deactivate it at just the right time, and brace for impact.

The hand at Sephiroth's shoulder began to emit a yellow glow. In an instance, the two of them shot upward, with neck breaking force. Sephiroth winced, his hands trying to slip off. Fortunately, Vincent had a tight enough grip on him that his own was allowed to slip some. They hit the apex if their jump, and quickly changed direction. The sudden jolt completely broke Sephiroth's hold. Again, he was thankful Vincent was strong enough to hold onto him. The young boy had never experienced actual use of materia before, so this possibly simple move was extremely rough on his underdeveloped body. Sephiroth would have screamed, if it wasn't for the force rendering him mute.

Vincent tried to cut the power just as they made it over the wall, but could only manage it after they'd made it halfway down. "Shit." He growled. They were coming in too fast. Sephiroth yelped as he took a hand from him, and pulled out the materia he'd gotten from Omid, activating it quickly. He'd shifted Sephiroth into a better position, taking the full impact into his legs. Apparently this materia was in fact a barrier. That was why he didn't recognize it. This wasn't one he was accustomed to. Guess the added endurance was more useful than he thought. Good thing too. What normally would have shattered his legs only caused him to drop to his knees.

The impact was still much harder than he'd hoped, creating a loud bang, and a small divot carved into the ground, roughly a couple feet across. Despite what Katherine told him, Vincent ran along the wall, for a ways, creating as much distance between them and the divot as possible.

Soon, he stopped, keeping an eye out for anyone who might have been alerted by their sound. It wasn't anything substantial, but a trained Turk's ear could easily pick up on it. Before long, Vincent's attention was drawn to the sound of Sephiroth wincing. "Seph?" He loosened his grip, leaving Sephiroth open to shove away from him, vomiting onto the sparse grassy ground around the edge of the wall. Unfortunately, there wasn't much food in his stomach, and the acidity burned his throat on the way out. On top of that, it only reminded him of how hungry he was. The young boy rarely had any food for the past few months, after all.

Vincent scooted closer, rubbing a hand across his back. "Easy now. Just let it out."

Sephiroth coughed. "Sorry."

"It's fine. Frankly, I'd be surprised if you didn't. Jump can be hard to handle, your first time." Vincent retrieved the restore Materia, casting cure, as well as barrier, over his young associate.

Sephiroth coughed, shivering against the sudden change. "Promise you won't use that again."

Vincent continued to rub his back, taking in their surroundings again. "Hopefully, I won't need to. At least not with you attached."

It didn't seem as though there was anyone alerted by their landing. "Are you ok to move?"

After a breath, Sephiroth nodded. "I think so."

"Kalm isn't far from here." Vincent got to his feet, keeping a weathered eye on the wall. "But we'll still need to move fast. I can carry you, if you need."

Slowly, Sephiroth got to his feet. Having to carry him would put Vincent at a disadvantage, if something happened. "I'm alright." He wasn't so weak that he would allow himself to be a burden on him. "I can keep up."

Vincent eyed the small child, with concern. He was still worn out. The toxin had obviously not fully worked its way from his body. "If you insist. Stay close." Vincent took his hand, and started out of the crater, surrounding Midgar. As soon as they'd reached the grassy planes, Vincent cast one last look over Midgar, to be sure there were no pursuers. It was difficult to know for sure, but it was best to keep moving. Making sure Sephiroth was still able to maintain his stamina, he set out straight for Kalm.

##

AN: o/ I've gotta lovaly bunch of coconuts. deedaleedeedee. There they are all sitting in a row. bumbumbadum. Big ones, small ones, some as big as your head. Give em a twist, a flick of the wrist, that what the showman said. o/

I need sleep. Good night folks. Enjoy.